Jarrett Ransom welcomes guest co-host LaShonda Williams CFRE, a trainer at Fundraising Academy, and they share insights in response to questions from viewers and listeners.
The first question involves the idea of department heads attending board meetings to foster relationships and communication between the staff and the board. LaShonda and Jarrett emphasize the importance of this practice, highlighting the benefits of building relationships and the need for direct connections between fundraising staff and board members.
Next, they address the question of organizing a community walk with multiple organizations involved. LaShonda recommends assessing the need and involving all stakeholders in the planning process while managing expectations regarding participation percentages.
The discussion then turns to email communication frequency, where they stress the importance of data analysis, segmenting the audience, and respecting individual preferences for communication frequency. They encourage the use of smart goals and segmentation to tailor communications effectively.
Finally, they discuss the idea of hosting monthly all-staff lunches on-site to build camaraderie, especially in organizations that offer remote work options. LaShonda advises considering the geographical locations of employees and budget constraints while aiming for quarterly in-person meetings to strengthen team cohesion.